


The Eight-Hour Postponement

by the_wordbutler



Series: Motion Practice [36]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Spider-Man (Comicverse), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Legal Drama, Multi, airport shenanigans, motion practice universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 20:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5716558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_wordbutler/pseuds/the_wordbutler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flight 616 is delayed 480 minutes.</p><p>For one family in particular, that is a very long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Eight-Hour Postponement

**Author's Note:**

> This little story is mostly inspired by Sara during her recent six-hour delay to visit me in Kansas. She eventually landed, but we cursed Boston all the same.
> 
> Therefore: thanks as always to the beta who inspired these words (saranoh) and to the beta who suffered through teenage text-messaging, Jen. They are both the very best.

**9:31 a.m.**  
Delay: 1 minute

Text stream: 404-804, Bruce Banner

**404-804:** _This is an automated message from American Airlines informing you that Flight #616 is delayed. Please see the gate agent for more information, and thank you for flying American Airlines._

 

==

 

 **10:07 a.m.**  
Delay: 37 minutes

Text stream: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

**Me:** _help_

 **Me:** _help_

 **Me:** _help. urgent. 911. code red. seven klaxons. battle stations._

 **Me:** _seriously pepper_

 **Me:** _PEPPER HELP ME!!!!!!!!_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _What now, Tony?_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Your passport is in the third pocket of your briefcase. Not the one you always think it’s in, but the other._

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Your boarding pass is with Bruce. Because you lost it last week._

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Twice._

 **Me:** _first: ha ha very funny you should take that act on the road_

 **Me:** _second: our flight is delayed for the foreseeable future_

 **Me:** _morale has crashed_

 **Me:** _my children might revolt_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _And I’m supposed to do what, exactly?_

 **Me:** _call the airline and rebook us_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Ignoring the fact that any flight coming from the East Coast will be delayed because of weather? No._

 **Me:** _pepper. pep. my oldest and dearest friend and yes that is including my husband (never forward him this text message stream)_

 **Me:** _please_

 **Me:** _I beg you_

 **Me:** _I will do seriously anything. name it. want a yacht? I can get you a yacht._

 

==

 

 **10:08 a.m.**  
Delay: 38 minutes

Text stream: Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark

**Masque of the Russian Death:** _Tony?_

 **Me:** _oh good. natasha. please tell me you’ve talked some sense into your charming but sometimes completely useless girlfriend._

 **Masque of the Russian Death:** _We’re blocking your number until noon._

 

==

 

 **10:42 a.m.**  
Delay: 72 minutes

Group message: Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff

**Clint Barton:** _melted down yet?_

 **Me:** _What am I allegedly melting down about?_

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _Your delayed flight._

 **Clint Barton:** _word gets around fast_

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _Since Tony’s with you, Bucky started a betting pool. Odds are two to one that you’ll be divorced before your layover._

 **Clint Barton:** _i bet you’d be divorced before takeoff_

 **Me:** _Your faith is touching._

 **Clint Barton:** _i do what i can._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _I had to block Tony on Pepper’s phone. Is he still alive?_

 **Me:** _Surprisingly, yes. He’s talking to a gate agent about whether we can make our connection._

 **Me:** _And before you ask, no, the children have not staged an uprising using music from Les Miserables. Amy is watching something on the iPad, Miles is texting with one of his friends, and Teddy_

 **Clint Barton:** _did your phone die?_

 **Me:** _I think we slightly misplaced Teddy._

 **Me:** _In our defense, he is seventeen and probably looking for reception to text Billy. The wifi keeps cutting out, and he’s out of data for the month. But otherwise, we’re fine._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _You sure?_

 **Clint Barton:** _we can send backup._

 **Me:** _Yes, I’m absolutely s_

 **Me:** _Tony just started shouting at the gate agent I’ll be right back_

 

==

 

 **11:28 a.m.**  
Delay: 118 minutes

Text stream: Miles Morales, Ganke Lee

**Me:** _IM GOING NUTS!!!!!!!_

 **The Gankster:** _whoa hey_

 **The Gankster:** _down a notch_

 **The Gankster:** _we talked abt internet yelling not cool_

 **Me:** _sry_

 **Me:** _the airports boring_

 **Me:** _amy took the ipad so i cant watch n e thing_

 **Me:** _the wifis shitty_

 **Me:** _dads yelling at the lady at the counter_

 **The Gankster:** _dads as in both??????_

 **Me:** _no sry just t_

 **Me:** _b mostly looks tired_

 **Me:** _stupid canada vacay not worth this_

 **The Gankster:** _u just super miss bree already dont u????_

 **Me:** _ugh_

 **Me:** _shut up_

 **Me:** _(yes)_

 

==

 

 **12:01 p.m.**  
Delay: 151 minutes

Text stream: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

**Me:** _I may be slightly banned from talking to the gate agent. possibly forever._

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _By Bruce or by American Airlines?_

 **Me:** _yeah I am exercising my right against self-incrimination on that one_

 

==

 

 **12:53 p.m.**  
Delay: 203 minutes

Text stream: Teddy Altman, Billy Kaplan

**Me:** _i miss you_

 **Me:** _i know i saw you last night but after everything we talked about, all the future stuff, that’s really not enough. you know?_

 **Me:** _we’re stuck in the airport, and instead of wanting to be with my family, i just want to see you again._

**ALERT: No internet or data connection. Please reconnect and resend your messages.**

**Me:** _I HATE THIS STUPID PHONE SO MUCH_

 

==

 

 **1:32 p.m.**  
Delay: 242 minutes

Text stream: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

**Me:** _boston is a stupid city_

 **Me:** _totally useless_

 **Me:** _exists only to provide the world with stupid accents and to generally ruin my life_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Home of your alma mater?_

 **Me:** _nope_

 **Me:** _mit is officially dead to me thanks to bad weather screwing up our flights_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Do I need to show up at the airport with an old priest and a young priest?_

 **Me:** _no_

 **Me:** _at least not yet_

 

==

 

 **1:33 p.m.**  
Delay: 243 minutes

Group message: Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff

**Me:** _Can I put fifty dollars on “divorced by the time we reach our layover,” please?_

 **Clint Barton:** _ouch_

 **Clint Barton:** _and not to sound unsympathetic: still think you’ll survive til you take off?_

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _I just hit him in the arm for you._

 **Me:** _Thanks._

 **Clint Barton:** _and we’re not in court if you need to talk or something_

 **Me:** _I don’t necessarily need to talk. I just need our flight to either leave Boston or get cancelled._

 **Me:** _Amy’s out of My Little Pony episodes, and the wifi is too spotty for streaming, so she’s chasing down dogs and babies. We’ve lost her three times in the last half-hour. One family brought her to the gate when she refused to stop talking to their toddler._

 **Me:** _Miles is lying on the floor by the garbage cans because he can’t find an open outlet anywhere else. And judging from how long he’s spent playing Candy Crush, he figured out Tony’s iTunes password again._

 **Me:** _Teddy keeps swearing at his phone but avoiding all other eye contact._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _And Tony?_

 **Clint Barton:** _don’t ask. asking that leads to madness. and spouse-icide._

 **Me:** _He’s demoralized._

 **Me:** _He picked this conference on purpose because he wanted us to all go to Ontario as a family. He feels responsible. Also, the gate agent placed a line of masking tape on the carpet five feet from the counter and told him to stay behind it at all times. I’m surprised she didn’t call airport security._

 **Clint Barton:** _least she didn’t tape him to you?_

 **Me:** _That might be the next step. Or he’ll invent masking tape handcuffs to keep him and Amy together, because at this rate_

 **Me:** _Hold on lost Amy again back soon_

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _Next time Tony suggests you all go on vacation together, say no._

 

==

 

 **2:09 p.m.**  
Delay: 279 minutes

Text stream: Miles Morales, Ganke Lee

**Me:** _u kno how bree said its not like well stay 2gether_

 **The Gankster:** _no_

 **The Gankster:** _what????_

 **Me:** _when we kinda broke up cause of her dad_

 **Me:** _she said he said we r too young to wry abt staying 2gether and wed probly break up by high school_

 **The Gankster:** _kinda i guess. why??????_

 **Me:** _theres a rly cute girl going to indiana and i wanna go talk to her_

 **The Gankster:** _bree basically has the force shell know you talked to another girl_

 **Me:** _just for like 5 min_

 **The Gankster:** _do u think ur dadsll let me talk at ur funeral_

 **Me:** _ill try to take a selfie and send it to u_

 **The Gankster:** _i promise ill cry and everything_

 

==

 

 **2:41 p.m.**  
Delay: 311 minutes

Text stream: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark

**Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _Dot says her favorite episode of My Little Pony is the one with the sonic flying boom, but that the zebra one is her second favorite._

 **Me:** _you don’t need to start every text with dot says. no one is going to think you’re the one who harbors a deep love for mlp:fim_

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _Am I supposed to recognize that acronym?_

 **Me:** _seriously how do you manage to communicate with your six year old? also amy wants to know if dot watched wild kratts yet because she wants to discuss lemurs_

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _We’re trying to cut down on her screen time and encourage her to read more, so no. Remind me why we’re doing this again?_

 **Me:** _cutting down on her screen time? no idea. sounds futile. add wild kratts to the approved list it’s mostly educational. does dot want to play dollhouses when we’re back from ontario?_

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _I meant why we’re serving as proxies for our daughters, but yes. Dot would like to play dollhouses. But only if they can play Barbies, too._

 **Me:** _we’re being proxies because amy decided it was unfair that her brothers can text their friends but she needs to sit quietly and wait for netflix to buffer. plus it keeps her from running off to abduct toddlers and service animals_

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _Should I be worried about that last sentence?_

 **Me:** _only in the sense that I’m shocked nobody’s called jessica jones to report an unattended foster child chasing dogs through the airport. now is dot bringing her barbies to our house or is amy bringing hers to yours? inquiring minds want to know._

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _I’m sometimes still shocked that you’re a father._

 **Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Rogers:** _But in response to your question: Barbies at our house._

 

==

 

 **3:16 p.m.**  
Delay: 346 minutes

Text stream: Miles Morales, Teddy Altman

**Me:** _do u believe in soulmates_

 **Brother T:** _again?_

 **Brother T:** _miles, we can’t have this conversation every week, okay?_

 **Me:** _i just dont know if bree is my soulmate or if there are other girls like the cute one going to indiana_

 **Brother T:** _you’re too young to worry about soulmates_

 **Me:** _and ur not_

 **Brother T:** _it’s different with me and billy. but look, like i’ve said about a hundred times now, i think everyone has a person. i just don’t know if that means soulmates or something else._

 **Me:** _ok_

 **Brother T:** _and anyway— wait. are you getting my messages?_

 **Me:** _yeah why_

 

==

 

 **3:17 p.m.**  
Delay: 347 minutes

Text stream: Teddy Altman, Billy Kaplan

**Me:** _okay, since i have internet again for a minute: i love you. that’s it. i just want to say that i love you and i’ll see you in four days._

**ALERT: No internet or data connection. Please reconnect and resend your messages.**

**Me:** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH_

 

==

 

 **4:05 p.m.**  
Delay: 395 minutes

Text stream: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

**Me:** _this is how I die_

 **Me:** _stranded in a nominally international airport_

 **Me:** _surrounded by my disgruntled children and exhausted husband but still utterly alone_

 **Me:** _someday when they make a documentary about my life they’ll show this moment. slouched in an uncomfortable chair disheveled and hopeless_

 **Me:** _and all because I wanted to take my family to ontario in the winter_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _Tony?_

 **Me:** _no don’t try to comfort me. it’s too late. all I ask is that you make sure bruce remarries someone homely. no higher than a five on a ten scale._

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _I’m going to gloss over how gross that statement is to tell you that the flight from Boston took off an hour ago. Your new estimated departure time is 5:30 p.m._

 **Me:** _pepper potts, you are a glorious spot of sunshine in an otherwise dark life_

 **P. Potts, Queen of my Social Security Number:** _I know. Now go tell your family the good news._

 

==

 

 **5:29 p.m.**  
Delay: 479 minutes

Group message: Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton

**Me:** _In case it affects the betting pool: as we boarded, Tony informed the flight attendants that we’ll be buying drinks for everyone in the cabin._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _With or without your approval?_

 **Me:** _Do you really need to ask?_

 **Clint Barton:** _you okay with that?_

 **Me:** _Technically, the Stark fortune is not my money._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _And less technically?_

 **Me:** _After the day we just had? He’s buying me two. It’s the least he can do._

 **Natasha Romanoff:** _Good answer._

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my words, you probably enjoy the ones saranoh churns out. And you're in luck: she's taking prompts this weekend. [Go bug her for words.](http://saranoh.tumblr.com/post/137242699978/prompt-fest)


End file.
